Letters from Readers — November 2006 America’s Civil War Magazine

I enjoyed the July issue, particularly J. David Petruzzi’s article “Opening the Ball,” as well as Dana Shoaf’s editorial on the “first shot.” I too have been researching the opening engagements at Gettysburg and the 9th New York.

Mr. Petruzzi, however, makes a few misstatements based upon a couple of easily understandable misperceptions, which, for the sake of historical correctness, should not go unchallenged.

On P. 32 of Mr. Petruzzi’s otherwise fine article, he erroneously states, “At the time, he [Corporal Alpheus Hodges of the 9th N.Y.] had been in command of an advanced picket post northwest of Gettysburg along the Newville Road, near the Samuel Cobean farm.” But on P. 106 of Brevet Major Newel Cheney’s history of the 9th New York, the regimental historian clearly states the following: “On the night of June 30th, Col. Wm. Sackett of the 9th N.Y. Cavalry, was brigade officer of the day, in charge of the Second Brigade [Devin’s] picket line and had his headquarters near the Lutheran Seminary. The advanced picket post on the Chambersburg Road was held by a Corporal and three men, relieved every two hours, with orders not to fire on any one approach ing from the front….At daylight on the morning of July 1, Corporal Alpheus Hodges, of Company F, 9th N.Y. with three men were on duty at this post.”

Upon the arrival of Buford’s cavalry division in the Gettysburg area earlier that day, the general’s primary concern was the Confederate forces he then knew were beginning to advance from the northwest, probably along the Chambersburg/Cashtown Pike and Mummasburg Road. Buford therefore assigned Colonel William Gamble’s 1st Brigade to deploy pickets on a wide area from the Fairfield/Hagerstown Road to the Chambersburg/Cashtown Pike, and asked Colonel Thomas Devin to do the same from the Pike northward beyond the Mummasburg Road, as well as picket and patrol all roads entering Gettysburg from the north and east. Both brigades initially deployed their pickets along McPherson’s Ridge, but Gamble soon after extended his line farther west to take advantage of the higher ground along Herr’s Ridge. Hence Colonel Sackett’s cautionary orders not to fire upon potentially friendly troops traversing the Pike to and from Gamble’s new picket line. Both brigades then posted three- or four-man “vidette” teams a mile or so beyond their main picket line. In doing so, however, Gamble’s videttes along the Pike were now about a mile beyond those of Devin.

As officer in charge of Devin’s pickets that evening, Sackett could assign those on picket duty from each of the brigade’s four regiments anywhere he so chose, without regard to designated sectors, as the brigade’s videttes, pickets and picket reserves were acting as one body for the defense of the brigade. Corporal Hodges’ team from the 9th New York was assigned to Herr’s Ridge, so Mr. Petruzzi is mistaken in assuming that the lines formed by various regiments as depicted on the detailed map (left) accurately reflect where individual pickets from those regiments were posted during the night. As a 2nd Brigade picket, therefore, Corporal Hodges could have theoretically been posted anywhere along the brigade’s wide front.

A substantiation of this argument can be found on P. 107 of the 9th New York’s regimental history as the writer describes what transpired later that morning: “About 8 a.m. a force of the enemy’s infantry was seen approaching on the Chambersburg Road, and, before reaching Willoughby Run, deployed to the north toward the Mummasburg road. The 9th N.Y. was then watering its horses by squadrons in Rock Creek. As soon as each squadron returned [to the brigade’s bivouac] it was ordered out on the Mummasburg road to support the pickets [at that point].” A few hours later, as the advance of Rodes’ Division of Ewell’s corps finally began moving toward the pickets of the 9th N.Y. and 7th Pennsylvania posted north of town, the entire skirmish line was shifted farther to the north and west to provide coverage for those areas as well. Devin’s skirmish line thereafter ran from the unfinished railroad cut all the way to Rock Creek, while maintaining his pickets out the York Pike and Hunterstown and Harrisburg Roads. Only the highly mobile, small-unit independence of the cavalry could have provided such coverage.

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